I took a 2007 Rubicon 2 Door for a test drive. Here are some thoughts and reflections.

As a daily driver it is a significant improvement over the TJ but still a good bit short of the KJ. The sense of sitting up and looking out is much like a lifted KJ. However the rear view is seriously obstructed by the second row head rests. Head room is great but shoulder room in the front is a little less than the KJ. The doors seem light and not substantial enough (but then, if they were not so, how could they be removable).

The thirty two inch tires are really 32 inches. The clearance of the rocker panel in the center was 17 inches. For my KJ the clearance is 15 inches. Here is the interesting number. Again in the center (half way between front and rear wheels) the ground clearance from skid pad is 10 inches. My liberty at the same place is 11 inches. It was also 10 inches under the front plastic “skid pad” (or whatever that plastic thingy is). So while the JK has a better break over angle due to the shorter wheel base, our lifted KJs have more center ground clearance.

As driving impression it feels a lot like the KJ in terms of the “feel” of its size. The engine is a little less snappy than the KJ. I was sure I wanted JK to replace my KJ (now over 100,000) when the time comes. Now I’m not so sure. Well, just some first impressions. But there may still be a rescue green JK in my future (but it will need a lift and some real bumpers.)

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JacksJeep
Lifted, Locked and Ready to Wheel

I'm going to a DC sales thing here in Phoenix this weekend. I'm hoping to get to test drive the Unlimited. They have really impressed me thusfar.

The engine felt less "punchy" because of the dynamic computer control on it. It takes about a week (or a few hundred miles) to learn your driving habits to maximize fuel effeciency. As for the ground clearance: It has better approach, departure, and breakover angles, so what's the big deal? I crawl over (as opposed to drive over, ya know?) anything that's more than about 6" high anyway, so...I don't see the problem. I'm hopefully getting my JK sometime next week, after picking up our KJ yesterday. Our jeep dealer loves us